Rob White

Professor of Criminology

To be criminal is to break the law. But is it that simple? What if someone does something that is wrong, but legal? The environment, for example, is universal, but the laws governing its use are different everywhere. There are many human activities that harm the environment but are not illegal. We are the custodians of the environment for future generations, so is it not criminal to cause it irreversible harm?

Seeking justice

Criminologist, Professor Rob White, is pioneering the field of green criminology internationally. He has published seven books on the topic. His research examines three interconnected justice-related approaches to environmental harm:

Environmental justice, which is concerned with harm to the environment that impacts on other humans (e.g. toxic waste)

Ecological justice, which is concerned with harm to ecosystems and plant species (e.g. deforestation)

Species justice, which is concerned with harm to animals (e.g. animal abuse).

His research explores harm as the determination of what is criminal, not the law. He seeks to find ways to criminalise international acts of harm against humans, biospheres, plant species and animals.

'Social and ecological justice is not about what is legal, it is about what is moral. Future generations' lives depend on what we do today. It is a question of survival and intergenerational equity. When harm is used as the basis for judging what is unjust, it follows that certain acts of ecocide should be criminalised,' said Professor White.

'Transnational law enforcement is a challenge. How can we enforce sanctions on loss of biodiversity and extinction of species? What repercussions should there be for releasing harmful emissions into the environment? When there is wilful destruction of the environment by humans, how should we prosecute this?'

Professor White is exploring the development of specialist environmental courts as a forum to prosecute transgressions against ecosystems and animals. He is also working with international policing agencies like Interpol on transnational law enforcement issues and strategies.

Professor White is also interested in innovative justice, particularly in relation to youth offending.

'I am a strong advocate of restorative justice and reparative justice. We need to look at the underlying reasons for the offences and work together with victims, communities and offenders, to restore individuals and repair the harm done by the offence,' said Professor White.

The restorative ethos and diversionary approaches around youth offending have seen the number of young people in detention fall dramatically. Professor White has also been consulted on the Tasmanian correctional policy 'Breaking the Cycle', which has seen Tasmania become the only Australian state where the prison population has decreased. He also sits on the Tasmanian Sentencing Advisory Council.

'We have a social responsibility to young people to get this right,' said Professor White. This is also reflected in his studies of youth violence. He has written the most comprehensive book on youth gangs in Australia, which combines several decades of research from national and international studies.

An interest in rehabilitation and desistance from crime has also seen Professor White's research consider responses to people who have committed terrorist acts.

'People with extreme views, who feel they've been treated badly while incarcerated, will only emerge with stronger convictions to do harm when eventually released. We need to look at positive ways to change these people's trajectories.'

Connect with Rob White

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Rob White is a Professor of criminology, with a particular interest in green criminology. He has pioneered the field internationally and has written seven books on the topic. He is Director of the Criminology Research Unit, Academic Director of the Centre for Applied Youth Research (CAYR), and a member of the Tasmanian Sentencing Advisory Council. His research is focused on social and ecological justice, criminology and youth studies. He collaborates internationally on transnational law enforcement. He is also interested in innovative justice, particularly restorative justice, rehabilitation and desistance from crime.

Career summary

Qualifications

Degree

Title of Thesis

University

Country

Awarded

PhD

Teachers
as State Workers and the Politics of Professionalism

Australian National University

Australia

1984

LLM

Environment Courts and Nonhuman Environmental Victims

University of Tasmania

Australia

In progress

MA

Educational
Practices: Ideology and Consciousness in the School

Carleton University

Canada

1980

BA Hons

University
Objectives in Relation to Who Attends Queen's University

Queen's University

Canada

1978

Cert

Certificate in Men's Health

Curtin University of Technology

Australia

1997

Biography

Professor Rob White is an internationally recognised criminologist with an extensive track record of publications and grants. He has published over 30 books (not including revised editions and translations), and over 200 articles and book chapters (refereed and professional), and is a leading figure in Australian criminology.

Present research is focussed on innovative projects and approaches to offender rehabilitation, drawing upon examples from around the world and involving critical analysis of concepts such as 'innovation', 'greening justice' and 'desistance'.

Rob is on the leading edge of international research in the newly established area of 'green criminology'.

Rob is a foundation member of the International Working Group on Green Criminology, a former executive member of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Criminology, former Director of the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies, and is presently a member of the Tasmanian Sentencing Advisory Council.

Current and Previous Academic Positions

1999 - Professor of Criminology, (formerly Chair of Sociology, Associate Professor in Sociology/Law), University of Tasmania

Research Themes

Professor Rob White is an internationally recognised criminologist, a prominent international figure in youth studies and juvenile justice, and an international leader in the new field of 'green criminology'. Rob White has a 'google scholar' score of h-index (29) and i10-index (85) and 4460 citations (as at 8 April 2015) that clearly ranks him in the higher echelons for Criminology and Social Sciences research globally. His publications are a combination of sole authored and collaborative scholarship, indicative of a track record of independent research and sustained, effective research collaborations nationally and internationally. He has brought in over $400,000 in consultancy monies, and over $2 million in research grants over the course of his career.

Memberships

Professional practice

Member, Australian & New Zealand Society of Criminology (1987-2015) Honorary Secretary, Australian & New Zealand Society of Criminology (1993-95)

Executive, Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (1993-98, 2005-06)

Co-Convenor, international conference on Environmental Crime and the World, University of Tilburg, The Netherlands, September (2013).

Keynote Speaker and Conference Rapporteur, United Nations Conference on Environmental Crime, organised by UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, United Nations Environment Programme and Italian Ministry of the Environment, Rome, October 2012. (2011-2012).

Co-Convenor, international conference on Environmental Crime and Its Victims, organised by Delft University and Netherlands Police Academy, The Netherlands, Delft, September, 2012 (2011-2012).

Writer, Australian segments of on-line International Youth Justice program of judicial training (for Judges and Magistrates in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and New York), (2009) Canberra: National Judicial College of Australia (in conjunction with similar organisations in Auckland, New York, Ottawa)

Administrative expertise

In addition to managing a large range of funded research projects, Rob White has an extensive record of administrative expertise at the local, national and international level. This includes leading roles in International Working Group on Green Criminology, the Australia and New Zealand Society of Criminology, International conference organisation, and involvement in a wide range of community and University organisations and committees.

Professor White's intellectual impact is also evident in the success of his criminology and sociology textbooks. Six of these textbooks (published by Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press) are presently in repeat editions, indicating their strong performance and sustained relevance over time. Crime and Criminology (now in its 5th edition) has sold over 32,000 copies, including 7,000+ copies in the United Kingdom and 3,000+ in the United States. In Canada, the book was deemed valuable to the extent that a special 'Canadianised' edition has been produced (now into its own 2nd edition), with an additional 3,000+ sales to date. Crime, Criminality and Criminal Justice (2010) is presently the standard Australian criminology textbook, having sold over 10,000 copies since publication, and as of 2015 is now in second edition.

Research Appointments

Professor Rob White was elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA) in 2014. He has been Director of Sociology & Criminology at the University of Tasmania, and is currently Chair of the Arts Faculty Board. He is Academic Director of the newly formed Centre for Applied Youth Research, a not-for-profit organisation based in Hobart that fosters applied work across the practitioner-policy-research continuum. Rob White has recently been appointed to a 2-year term as Fellow of the Australian National University, and a 3-year term as Visiting Professor at the University of Northumbria, UK. He is a member of the Sentencing Advisory Council of Tasmania.

Research Invitations

In 2012 Rob White was co-organiser of a conference on Environmental Crime hosted by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Institute in Rome, and was co-organiser and keynote speaker at an international conference on Environmental Victims in The Netherlands. In 2013, he was invited to be a member of the Science and Policy Advisor Board for a major EU research project, 'European Union Action to Fight Environmental Crime' (involving 11 partners in various European countries), as well as part of a 'green criminology' Presidential Panel at the American Society of Criminology conference in Atlanta. In 2014, he was keynote speaker at an ESRC funded conference on Environmental Crime held in London. He is co-editor of a new book series, Palgrave Studies in Green Criminology, the first books of which were released in April 2015.

Connect with Rob White

Follow Rob White on Twitter

Expertise

Rob White is an internationally recognised criminologist with expertise in youth studies, juvenile justice and the new transnational area of green criminology.Research excellence is not only measured in terms of quantity. It is also evident in the quality and impact of Professor White's various contributions. For example, Rob White's intellectual contribution to green criminology is varied and substantial, and together his works present a coherent and evolving corpus of work.

Rob's research also examines the limitations and contradictions in the existing mechanisms of conflict resolution and harm reduction in relation to environmental crime. For example, his book Environmental Harm: An Eco-Justice Perspective (2013) was a unique study that offered a systematic and critical discussion of the nature of environmental harm from an eco-justice perspective. The book evaluates three interconnected justice-related approaches to environmental harm: environmental justice (humans), ecological justice (the environment) and species justice (non-human animals).White's overarching contributions to green criminology have been foundational and lasting. Importantly, the work of Professor White has been pivotal in reinforcing the critical content of green criminology – to make environmental justice and ecological harm problematic – rather than simply dealing with environmental crime as a matter of 'legality' and subject solely to conventional criminal definitions.

Rob White has consistently been at the forefront of work on the social dynamics pertaining to young people's use of public space, producing a number of signal works for both academia and public policy.

Over his career Professor White has made major contributions to the area of youth studies, including juvenile justice. With co-author Johanna Wyn, he helped set the theoretical context within which youth studies has developed as a distinct field, globally, over the past three decades.

Rob White has spent over thirty years engaged in the study of youth gangs. This recently culminated in the publication of his book Youth Gangs, Violence and Social Respect: Exploring the dynamics of provocations and punch-ups (2013). This is the first book dedicated to Australian youth gangs, exploring the subtleties and nuances of street life for young men and their quest for social respect. No other Australian scholar has done more research on youth gangs, nor had the professional and policy impact that White has had nationally on these issues.

Collaboration

As well as an extensive international network of research collaborators, Rob White has been building strong links with relevant professional bodies – such as the Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators Network, INTERPOL and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute – so that academic research is translated into relevant policy and practice at the ground level.

An example of Rob's collaborative approach is in the areas of youth studies, juvenile justice and youth work. Professor Rob White has demonstrated the importance of engaging in social science as a form of praxis. His critique of coercive approaches to youth crime prevention and punitive criminal justice responses to youth offending (including the hyper-incarceration of Indigenous young people), combined with advocacy of progressive, evidence-based forms of restorative justice and rehabilitation, has placed White at the forefront of innovative justice. This has not just been a theoretical task, but one in which White has been an active participant, involving close interactions with juvenile justice authorities, departments of justice, police services, local councils, schools and advisory bodies.

New initiatives Rob is engaged in that involve international networking and practical application include:

Co-editor of 'Environmental Crime and Collaborative State Intervention' (in press, Palgrave Macmillan) –this project has involved a wide variety of transnational institutions and cross-national collaborations, from INTERPOL through to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Co-organiser of 'Insecurity/Innovation/Insight: Meeting the challenges facing youth in Asia and the Pacific' and Academic Editor of the new international journal, the Journal of Applied Youth Studies. These activities have involved forging new relationships, particularly in the South East Asia region.

Visiting Professor at Northumbria, UK – a three year appointment designed to enhance collaboration between researchers at Northumbria and myself on 'green criminology' projects, articles, grants and teaching (includes 2-week visits to Newcastle, UK each year).

Current projects

Rob's research focuses on social and ecological justice and encompasses projects at the local through to the international level. Current and recent projects include evaluating School community partnerships; climate change adaptation in the South Pacific, evaluating prison peer support and post release programs; policing hazardous waste disposal; an assessment of Australia's children's courts; and forensic science effectiveness in the criminal justice system.

Fields of Research

Criminology (160299)

Sociology (160899)

Urban Sociology and Community Studies (160810)

Law (180199)

Correctional Theory, Offender Treatment and Rehabilitation (160202)

Applied Sociology, Program Evaluation and Social Impact Assessment (160801)

Police Administration, Procedures and Practice (160205)

Studies in Human Society (169999)

Causes and Prevention of Crime (160201)

Courts and Sentencing (160203)

Criminological Theories (160204)

Environmental and Natural Resources Law (180111)

Social Policy (160512)

Environmental Sociology (160802)

Law and Legal Studies (189999)

Social Change (160805)

Law and Society (180119)

Legal Institutions (incl. Courts and Justice Systems) (180120)

Health and Community Services (111708)

Race and Ethnic Relations (160803)

Environmental Politics (160605)

Sociological Methodology and Research Methods (160807)

Environmental Impact Assessment (050204)

Public Health and Health Services (111799)

Criminal Law and Procedure (180110)

Counselling, Welfare and Community Services (160702)

Public Policy (160510)

Policy and Administration (160599)

Studies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Society (169902)

Journalism Studies (190301)

Sociology and Social Studies of Science and Technology (160808)

Climate Change Processes (040104)

Environment Policy (160507)

Environmental Sciences (059999)

Conservation and Biodiversity (050202)

Consumption and Everyday Life (200203)

Crime Policy (160504)

Access to Justice (180102)

Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies (200102)

Medical and Health Sciences (119999)

Research Objectives

Justice and the Law (940499)

Community Service (excl. Work) (940199)

Law, Politics and Community Services (949999)

Children's/Youth Services and Childcare (940105)

Law Enforcement (940404)

Rehabilitation and Correctional Services (940408)

Expanding Knowledge through Studies of Human Society (970116)

Criminal Justice (940403)

Environment (969999)

Employment Patterns and Change (940501)

Cultural Understanding (959999)

Environmental Policy, Legislation and Standards (960799)

Crime Prevention (940402)

Government and Politics (940299)

Work and Institutional Development (940599)

Social Class and Inequalities (940116)

Ageing and Older People (940103)

Arts and Leisure (950199)

Environmental Services (940110)

Communication (950299)

Environmental Ethics (950403)

Legal Processes (940406)

Ethnicity, Multiculturalism and Migrant Development and Welfare (940111)

Men's Health (920504)

Substance Abuse (920414)

Climate Change Adaptation Measures (960301)

Social Impacts of Climate Change and Variability (960311)

Consumption Patterns, Population Issues and the Environment (960702)

Equity and Access to Education (939903)

Environmental Education and Awareness (960703)

Urban Planning (870105)

Education and Training Systems (930599)

The Media (950204)

Construction (879999)

Library and Archival Services (890302)

Expanding Knowledge in Law and Legal Studies (970118)

Expanding Knowledge in Technology (970110)

Civil Justice (940401)

Behaviour and Health (920401)

Water and Waste Services (900499)

Publications

Rob White's publications are a combination of sole authored and collaborative scholarship, indicative of a track record of independent research and sustained, effective research collaborations nationally and internationally.

He has published over 30 books (not including revised editions and translations), and over 200 articles and book chapters (refereed and professional).

White's overarching contributions to green criminology have been foundational and lasting. His conceptualisation of eco-global criminology, for instance, provided the thematic starting point for a Scandinavian text Eco-global Crimes: Contemporary Problems and Future Challenges (edited by R. Ellefsen, R. Sollund & G. Larsen) which critically engaged with the notions of ecology and the transnational in assessing the nature of harm. His 2014 book Green Criminology is the first ever comprehensive and international student textbook in this sub-field, and reflects Professor White's abiding interest in training the next generations in the concepts and methods of green criminology. As part of these efforts, White has consistently played a major role in bringing scholars and researchers together from around the world and helping to build a critical mass of green criminologists who are collectively engaged in this vital area of work. He is a facilitator of connections between people, as is particularly evident in foundational edited books in green criminology and the several special issues of journals that he has edited in this area.

Rethinking Youth (1997) is considered a signal foundation text that explores key concepts such as 'youth', 'adult', 'generation' and 'subculture' from a social scientific viewpoint. Youth and Society (2008/2013) likewise provides important insights into how structure and agency are played out in the real world activities of young people. Other work has examined the nature of youth work and the role of youth workers in addressing social problems, the contours and make-up of Australian youth subcultures, and the continuing relevance of 'class, gender and ethnicity/race' in analysis of contemporary youth issues.

White R, 'Climate change, ecocide and crimes of the powerful', The Routledge International Handbook of the Crimes of the Powerful, Routledge, Barak G (ed), United Kingdom, pp. 211-222. ISBN 9780415741262 (2015) [Research Book Chapter]

White RD, 'Policing the other: Lebanese young people in a climate of conflict', Social Cohesion in Australia, Cambridge University Press, James Jupp & John Nieuwenhuysen with Emma Dawson (ed), Port Melbourne, VIC, pp. 70-79. ISBN 9780521709439 (2007) [Research Book Chapter]

White R, 'Understanding and Engagement in Community Intervention: Views from Above and Below', Tasmanian Council of Social Service Newsletter, Tasmanian Council of Social Service Inc., Battery Point, September (2009) [Internal Newsletter]

Grants & Funding

Rob's research focuses on social and ecological justice and encompasses projects at the local through to the international level. Current and recent projects include evaluating School community partnerships; climate change adaptation in the South Pacific, evaluating prison peer support and post release programs; policing hazardous waste disposal; an assessment of Australia's children's courts; and forensic science effectiveness in the criminal justice system.

Funding Summary

Number of grants

21

Total funding

$2,522,054

Projects

Smith Family School Community Partnership Pilot Programme In Tasmania (2014)$60,000

Description

This is an evaluation of The Smith Family's School-Community Hub in Launceston Tasmania.

The waste management area presents numerous opportunities for crime. The aims of this study are: to develop an inventory of problems and crimes associated with the disposal of hazardous waste; to collect information on who carries out regulation and enforcement activities in regard to the disposal of hazardous waste in Australia; and to undertake an audit of the operational practices of relevant environmental law enforcement agencies operating at international, national, regional and local levels.

The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System (2008 - 2012)$887,829

Description

The research aims to assess the effectiveness of forensic science in the criminal justice system (in both police investigations and court outcomes). This collaborative research will develop an evidence-based best practice model for using forensic science in both the reactive and proactive investigation of serious and volume crime. This research is significant in that, for the first time in Australia, an attempt will be made to establish the value of forensic science thereby assisting in the achievement of intelligence-led policing and improving court outcomes that will serve to safeguard Australia from crime.